Live: A Dallas Stars talk with Mike Heika (4/30/14)

SportsDay

Mike Heika joins us at 1 p.m. Wednesday, but ask your Stars questions now and he will have them when he arrives. Thanks for your readership!

by SportsDayDFW4/28/2014 9:18:39 PM

Howdy folks, I'm in the middle of a clarinet emergency (and you thought the Stars have problems), but nothing can stand in the way of a good chat. So let's get this thing going.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:04:05 PM

Mike, Mike, Mike, guess what day is it Mike? Hey Mike, thanks for you hard work this season. Mike my question is about Kari. Do you think he can be rehabbed? Too many times we have seen the game 6 story of soft goals, short side, down early, first move, high glove kind of stuff on a smaller stage of the regular season. I know Kari is a very good guy, so polite, so soft spoken and loved by his mates and the fans, but can he get us over the hump (see how I worked that in) on the big stage? You think we keep him until Campbell gets going? Kari of course has 4 more years at near 6 mil a year.

by Sam4/30/2014 6:04:23 PM

It is the ultimate question for every team. Vancouver battled it for years. So has Philadelphia. It's a hard place to be. This was a huge year for Kari Lehtonen. We finally had a couple of tests of where he is, and he failed both. He was really great under some tough circumstances in the Olympics, but he allowed a goal from Erik Karlsson that just can't go in, and Finland lost to Sweden, 2-1. He was really great at times against Anaheim, but he had moments where he just wasn't very good, including each of the final three goals. That's tough. But, in pro sports, you commit to a player and you have to ride him. Some teams do that, and it works out, some teams do it, and they end up like Vancouver with Luongo. We have no idea which player Kari will be. On the positive side for Stars fans, Ed Belfour overcame and won it all. On the negative side, Lehtonen doesn't have close to the regular season numbers of Marty Turco, and Turco ultimately failed in the playoffs. It's a very hard position to play, to evaluate, and to be a fan of, and the guess is we're only getting started on our evaluation of Lehtonen's career in Dallas.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:10:51 PM

I feel so bad for Kari (the boys too) for the way we lost. Kari looked absolutely a broken man. What are you impressions of Mike, Mike, Mike Valley, as a coach, not a writer? Do you think a change is coming?

by Sam4/30/2014 6:11:02 PM

I'm actually a huge fan of Mike Valley. Consider where Lehtonen was when he came here. Now, he's in shape, he's technically sound, and he seems very motivated. I think that's pretty good coaching right there. Now, Valley has to go to work and see if he can help Kari learn from these playoffs.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:12:37 PM

Hey Mike I saw lots of improvements but do you the Stars are going to search around for defenseman or forwards?

by Jordan4/30/2014 6:12:42 PM

Yeah, I like to go back into the past a lot, and the 1996-97 team that lost to Edmonton in the first round had Andy Moog, Greg Adams, Brent Gilchrist, Grant Ledyard and Mike Lalor. They were all good players, but sometimes you have to make changes. Among the the Stars added by 1999 were: Ed Belfour, Brett Hull, Mike Keane, Brian Skrudland and Shawn Chambers. That's the way these things go. The Stars have good young talent as possible trade chips, they have plenty of cap space, and they have a smart GM who is plugged into the league. I'm eagerly awaiting the summer and the possibility of changes.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:17:13 PM

Hey Mike. Being the Stars' beat writer, I'm sure you know what Nill is going to do even before he knows what he's going to do. So, how do you think he approaches the defense this offseason?

by Niko4/30/2014 6:17:52 PM

It's a challenge. He has eight guys under contract (assuming Brendeni Dillon gets signed, and I'm assuming that) and none of them are right-handed. He has two guys pushing to get in (Oleksiak and Klingberg), and you have to take those steps slowly. He has not a lot of great options in free agency. The guess is the Stars will add a defensemen via tade, but who and how? Those are things I don't know. I believe they will try to find a trade partner in the East who will want Sergei Gonchar. I believe they will find a way to move Aaron Rome (even if it's a buyout). I believe Trevor Daley, Alex Goligoski and Jordie Benn are in better places than they were at the beginning of the season. So, maybe they come back with the same top four and then let Connauton, Klingberg and Oleksiak duke it out, or maybe they add a huge piece in the summer via the trade route. We'll see. There are some good options, but they either have large contracts or would take a lot in trade (or both).

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:23:14 PM

Hey Mike, given the uncertainty about Peverley's career, how do you think Nill will approach that this offseason?

by Niko4/30/2014 6:23:19 PM

I think they will view him as a great bonus if he can play. I think they have to assume he won't be ready and then move forward. If he is able to play, that's just icing on the cake.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:24:12 PM

Hey Mike... If you would have told Stars fans at the beginning of the year that they would make the playoffs with Goose and Daley as their top pair, many would have laughed in your face. Was their elevated level of play because of Ruff and his coaching staff (as opposed to Crawford/Gully not being able to use them effectively), or was it just a good run they will have trouble repeating next year?

by Niko4/30/2014 6:24:30 PM

I believe it's the former. The coaches put them in a good place system-wise, and they responded. They defend well by possessing the puck. If they are chasing in their own end, they will struggle defending. Lindy Ruff and James Patrick gave the duo a system that made the best use of their talents, and the coaches also rebuilt the confidence of each player. To me, that's a great coaching job. And I do believe they can do it again next year (and that they can do it even better if they have some help).

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:27:07 PM

Hi Mike, I can't even explain how devastating was that Sunday lost. Team was awesome and they could beat Anaheim with some more luck. It will be more written down about it here but I have to ask you this. Throughout the whole series it looked like referees were mostly on Anaheim's side or they were just blind to some call. And very often at those controversial situations Perry or Getzlaf were included. For example snow-shower from Perry the last game, tripping from Getzlaf at the end of the 3rd period, Fistric's hit on Roussel in the 1st period and that's just one game of 6. Very similar situations were in every game. None call on Andersen's theater at the net (he thrown himself down twice like a monkey- no diving rof official, both calls on Dallas) but we get two diving penalties on Garbutt I think. Spearing from Perry on Jamie and they say slashing because Benn doesn't do some drama scene like Perry on Garbutt's incident. It really seems like double standards here. How is it possible? I even thought that Ruff will say something on this after some game but that didn't happend. I know he is proffesional but when I saw how Ducks's trainer and players complaining about every little thing I thought he or players will have something to say about that but everyone was quiet..? Besides that, it was totally worth it to wake up at 3 a.m. here in Czech republic and watch games of Dallas. I am looking forward to next season, great job team and thank you Mike for this! (Sry for my english)

by Filas244/30/2014 6:27:47 PM

I tend to think it is never the ref's fault. There are clearly calls that go the wrong way, but I just don't think there is ever a conspiracy or a plan or even a bias for one team to get an advantage. If you start thinking that way, you hurt yourself and your growth. Now, there is an explanation for some things. Perry's spear was early in the series and Benn did not embellish. Garbutt's spear was late in the series, and Perry did embellish. Getzlaf is an MVP candidate and Perry already has won an MVP. That carries weight with officials, just as star power does with basketball officials. That's just the way it goes. There is a lot of gamesmanship in the playoffs, and the Stars are just learning how to do it. I liked the fact that, for the most part, they refrained from whining and just tried to play. That's the best way to handle things, in my eyes.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:32:36 PM

Mike, who are some candidates for 2nd line center next year? Any free agents we should get excited about?

by ksc234/30/2014 6:32:42 PM

They could trade for Ryan Kesler out of Vancouver. They could sign Paul Stastny, who has the chance to become a UFA out of Colorado. We'll see. My guess is it will be Cody Eakin again, but we'll see.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:33:51 PM

Hey Mike it was a great fun season. As much as that loss killed me I moved on rather quickly knowing how bright and awesome the future is. So my question. Would Paul Stastny being a good 2nd center fit? Would the cost be to much? Move eakin to 3rd line center? Something like that seems like would make the Stars deeper and better. Just some ideas throwing around in my head. Go Stars!!

by Jason4/30/2014 6:33:59 PM

I think he would be a great fit, although I have also heard he is not the fastest of skaters and might not be perfect in this system. He will cost a ton. He's having a good playoff, he's 28, and he's making $6.6 million this season. The guess is he will probably get a raise. He's definitely on the Stars' radar.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:36:35 PM

Hey Mike, It was a really great season, and they took huge strides and turned heads nationally! Looking ahead, what are the odds you think Niskanen could return to Dallas, and how serious is Paul Stastny about testing Free Agency? Would either be a good fit here?

by David G4/30/2014 6:36:43 PM

We just covered Stastny, but I do think Niskanen is intriguing. He is a right-handed shot, and he has matured a great deal in his time in Pittsburgh. The monkey wrench there is I'm not really sure Matt Niskanen would want to come back here. He has many bad memories, and I think he was happy moving on. I guess we'll see once free agency starts, but I think it would be tough to sell Matt on a return to Big D even with the new administration.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:38:43 PM

What's the immediate next step for the Stars now that the season is over?

by Reeter4/30/2014 6:38:48 PM

Scout the kids in the AHL. Jim Nill said the evaluation split on regular season and playoffs for the AHL players is probably 60-40 with 60 on the playoffs. If the Texas Stars can go to the AHL finals, that will ramp up the development schedule for a lot of the players. If they flop, that will change how Nill looks at the next wave of youngsters for next season. The AHL playoffs will be huge for Dallas and how they study free agency and trades in the summer.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:41:47 PM

Mike, who was your MVP for the Stars this season?

by Reeter4/30/2014 6:41:51 PM

I said Tyler Seguin at the end of the regular season, because I felt his speed really changed everything about the team. But after the playoffs, it's clear Jamie Benn is the MVP of the Dallas Stars every single day. He is incredible at raising his game when the competition rises. It really would be interesting to see him in a long playoff run, because after watching that last series, I believe he can go head-to-head with any player in the NHL and come out on the good side. That's pretty amazing.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:44:15 PM

What's the schedule like for the players now? Will any of them stay in Dallas over the summer?

by Danerys 4/30/2014 6:44:19 PM

Trevor Daley lives here. I believe Kari Lehtonen has let go of his place in Atlanta and now makes his permanent home in Dallas. You could see some of the younger players possibly make that same decision and set up shop here. But most will head back North or to Europe and enjoy a cooler summer. That's what I would do.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:46:30 PM

So, who wins the Cup?

by Grey4/30/2014 6:46:54 PM

Chicago looks like a safe bet to repeat...I guess...maybe...Hal?...Hal?

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:47:38 PM

Are there any former Stars worth rooting for for the rest of the playoffs? Fistric doesn't count.

by Rich4/30/2014 6:49:32 PM

I think Matt Niskanen deserves your love. I think he's earned that.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:49:40 PM

Do you see the Stars making a legit run at the Cup next year, or are a ways off?

by JD444/30/2014 6:49:41 PM

I think in two years. Next year will be the time to shoot for fifth place and a better first round seed. (and fifth place won't be easy with teams in the West improving).

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:50:51 PM

Why don't the Stars send Sceviour and Patrick Niemoth down to Austin to get more playoff experience and help out the Texas Stars?

by Shark4/30/2014 6:50:55 PM

Sceviour can't, because of the way the paperwork fell. Nemeth, I thought would go back. We'll have to check on that.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:51:52 PM

It looks like Chicago is up against the cap next year. They have several roster spots to fill and both Kane and Toews due for a raise the year after. What are the odds that Nill could pry away Keith or Seabrook, maybe in exchange for more affordable D-men like the ones we have an abundance of? Does our status as division rivals remove us from that type of scenario?

by Stephen Hendry4/30/2014 6:52:07 PM

It doesn't help. If Chicago has a problem (and the cap is going up from $64.3 million to $71.1 million, so they might not), the guess is they will be moving other players. I think Keith and Seabrook are right there with Kane and Toews. They aren't going anywhere.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:53:40 PM

Your overall assessment of the Stars' season?

by Rusty skates4/30/2014 6:53:42 PM

Pretty good, pretty good little season they had there...Honestly, it was both encouraging and frustrating. They seem to have a great GM and a great coach, and that is encouraging. But they only now are starting to understand how hard this climb will be, and that is frustrating. Are they going to be OK in goal? Can this defense move forward with only a tweak or two? Where does the depth scoring come from? Those are huge questions, and we have no answers right now. That's what makes it fun, and that's what makes it hard to sleep at night.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:56:03 PM

Is it possible that Vernon Fiddler will play with Dallas next season? I know it was already told that he probably won't be here but he has been showing that he is still very valuable player and awesome character all season long. I would like to see him at least one more season with us. How is this situation seen by management of Dallas? Are they going to try resign him or not?

by Filas244/30/2014 6:56:10 PM

He likes it here. He likes Lindy Ruff, and Lindy Ruff likes him. The problem with Fiddler isn't so much the cost (he will probably make around $2 million to $2.5 million and the Stars can afford that). The problem is the term. Does he need three years? Four years? If he does, then how do players like Faksa and Shore and Dickinson and Smith move up? The Stars have to make room for the kids, but will likely use the safety net of one-year deals to protect them next season. If Fiddler wants to sign a one-year deal, I can almost guarantee he will be back. If I'm his agent, I tell him to test the market and look for something more than that.

by Mike Heika4/30/2014 6:59:41 PM

With a new GM set in place in Vancouver, do you give us any chance of trading for Kesler this off season? If so, what do you think would require of us to entice the Canucks to part with him?

by scf2114/30/2014 6:59:48 PM

Yeah, definitely. I would think that the usual suspects are in play: Brett Ritchie, Jamie Oleksiak, Jack Campbell and maybe Jason Dickinson. I'm not sure exactly what combination it would take, but that's who teams are going to be asking about.